Fishermen, females fight over feathers

Portland, ME (NEWS CENTER)--Feather extensions are a popular style in women's hair fashion. Salons have bought so many turkey feathers that fly tiers are crying foul. They can't find feathers for their most popular dry fly patterns.

"Great!" says Allana York, the owner of Head Games a fashionable salon in Portland. "We're saving fishes' lives every single day," she joked. She told NEWS CENTER how the style seems to have emerged in Africa and Europe and landed in the United States on the West Coast.

The fishermen knew something was up. Dana Eastman of the Tackle Shop in Portland received a call from a California feather broker a couple of years ago. She wanted to buy every feather he had in stock and did. Eastman thought about making a quick buck on an investment in feathers, but didn't go for it. A decision he laments.

Still, he has the patience of the fisherman. "You can tell I'm not a fashion model, but my guess is it (this craze) will do like most fashion stuff. It will go away."

That can't happen too soon for fishermen who want their favorite dry fly patterns tied exactly the way they prefer.